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(No Model.)

G. G. IMLAY.

GAP FOR FRUIT JARS.

Patented June 30 UNITED STATES CHARLES e. IMLAY, or CAMDEN, NEW JERSEY.

CAP FOR FRUIT-JARS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 821,220, dated June 30, 1885.

(No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, CHARLES G. IMLAY, a citizen of the United States, residing at Gamden, in the county of Camden and State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements'in Gaps for Fruit-Jars; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which form part of this specification, in which Figure 1 is a Vertical section ofjar with my improved cap applied thereto. Fig. 2 is an inverted plan of cap, showing internal clamp; and Fig. 3 is a vertical section of cap transverse to section in Fig. 1.

My invention has for its object to provide a fruit-jar cap with a clamp to hold a vitrified cover in place on the jar.

My invention consists of a screw-cap with an internal clamp, substantially as hereinafter described.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, A designates a fruit-jar composed of glass or other vitrified material, having a screw neck, A.

B is a metallic screw cap which is applied to said screw-neck. The latter, above the screw, has a shoulder, a, on which rests a gum gasket, 0.

D represents a cover which fits on the top of the jar above its screw-neck. Said cover is composed of glass or other vitrified material, and has an annular depending flange, d, which rests and bears upon the gasket. It has also a boss or elevation at its center, as shown at d, the center being, therefore, the highest part of the cover.

The metallic screw-cap B has a spring-clamp, E, consisting of a diametrically-arranged metallic rod or bar, which extends all the way across the top of the cap below said top, and therefore within the cap. The top b of the cap should be elevated sufficiently above the clamp between theends of the latter to afford room for said clamp to spring or yield upwardly at its center; or it may be open at the center to permit such springing or yielding.

The clamp may be fastened in any suitable manner in the screw-cap, as by soldering its ends or fastening the same in tongues formed by punching the top of said cap; but I prefer to fasten the clamp in the cap by spinning the latter over the ends of the former in the act of spinning the cap, so that said clamp will be very firmly held by its ends in position in the cap.

In closing the jar the cover D is laid on the top of the latter, its flange resting upon the gasket. Ihe screw-cap is then applied in the usual manner, being turned down on the screw-neck of the jar until the clamp meets the central boss on the cover. The rotation of the screw-cap being continued the clamp bears with a direct vertical pressure on the cover, and the latter, in like manner, bears upon the gasket, forming a perfectly-tight joint with said gasket, the rotation of the latter, in the act of applying the cap, being thereby avoided.

Owing to the construction described, it will be manifest that the contents of the jar are at all times kept out of contact with the screwcap, even if the jar should be overturned or inverted; hence the dangers resulting from contact of acids with metal are totally avoided and an absolutely air-tight joint secured.

The screw-cap may be a complete shell without opening in it, in which case the vitrified cover will be invisible. If, however, it be desired to save metal and to render the vitrified cover visible when the cap is on, said cap may have openings formed in its top on either side of the springclamp, or the center and all of the top of the cap except an annular flange near its edge may be removed.

Although I have shown and described my invention as used in connection with a particular form of a fruit-j ar, I do not limit my claim to that or any form of jar, but claim the use of it for any jar to which it may be applied, my invention consisting of an internal clamp in a screw-cap for fruit-jars, said clamp being fastened in position as set forth.

What I claim as my invention is as follows:

1. A screw-cap for fruit-jars, having ametallic clamp located inside the same and fastened directly to said cap, substantially as described.

2. The combination, with a metallic screwcap for a fruit-jar, of a clamp fastened in said In testimony that I claim the foregoing I cap by the metal of the latter spun over its have hereunto set set my hand this 13th day :0 ends, substantially as shown and described. of January, 1885.

3. The combination, with a screw-cap for 5 fruit-jars, of a clamp located inside the same, CHARLES IMLAY' said clamp consisting of a spring-bar having Witnesses: its end rigidly secured to the cap, substan- HENRY PoLsz; tially as set forth. JAMES LAFOURCADE, Jr. 

